View From HQ
The "View From HQ" is one of the best places I know to share information that can be used by the majority of the members. Sitting in the executive director's office, I receive recurring calls for help concerning club management.
An old saying in association management is that no one reads the bylaws until there is a problem. If they are out-of-date, ineffective, or have been ignored for a number of years, in the press of a crisis it's too late to change them. This applies not only to bylaws, but to club procedures and policy manuals.
This is not the most exciting thing to talk about or work on, but a little talking and work today can save all kinds of problems later. A well-respected club officer had recently called me to discuss a problem. At my request, he documented his problem where no clear ownership of some club property could be determined.
I believe we can all learn a lesson from his comments. At his request, he shall remain anonymous.
Club ownership and organizational issues
From time to time, and more often lately, the Academy is contacted about a variety of organizational issues that clubs face. They include such topics as tax status, internal financial controls, copyright of written material, trademarks, and website ownership.
Most clubs get started as a simple organization with a bunch of guys and gals pursuing their collective enjoyment of all things "aviation." Problems arise when the "bunch" becomes 100-plus strong with money in the bank, income beyond that of membership dues, professional-grade newsletters, nationally recognized events, and killer websites.
Who owns what? Consider questions such as:
- Is there a state business ID number?
- Is there a federal tax ID number?
- Is it worthwhile to file for Non-Profit Social Club Status (501(c)(7))?
- How does the club protect itself from financial fraud or worse (one individual wiping out the treasury)?
- Are all financial accounts in the club's name?
- Do you have copyright protection on your publications?
- Is your most prestigious event protected with a trademark?
- Has the club established true ownership of the website with a written document outlining ownership and responsibilities of the webmaster?
- Are there backup documents with account and website passwords in the hands of current officers?
There is a lot to think about. And the time to think about it is before there is a question. Sample tax forms are available on the AMA website under "Documents." The same goes for bylaws.
Many clubs establish specific ways for finances to be handled (check requests, income statements, expense forms, timelines of submissions, etc.). Are those forms and policies in your club's documents? There is nothing that will screw up a club's financials like getting a four-year-old bill from a member who forgot to ask for reimbursement for a $1,000 lawn mowing and fertilizer invoice.
There are no easy answers. The answers also depend on the comfort level of the membership. Suffice to say that waiting until the club is "held hostage" with the inability to access accounts or websites, that your premier event is now sponsored by another group, that there is not enough cash on hand to pay bills, etc., is not the time to come up with a plan.
Officer transition and succession planning
Another thought about "who owns what" is the transition when new officers are elected. A checklist of what needs to be passed on to the incoming officers will help avoid confusion. Large and small companies engage in succession planning where leadership is groomed for the future. Although we don't tend to think of our clubs needing such transition plans, we all could benefit from a little forward thinking.
AMA contest calendar
July is approaching, and I encourage everyone to become familiar with the new AMA contest calendar on the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org/events/calendar.aspx. The search feature encompasses events as far as 12 months out as opposed to just the three months published in MA. This is an added benefit.
Southeastern Model Show
In March I attended the Southeastern Model Show in Perry, Georgia. This is the largest swap meet I am aware of in the United States. Norm Deputy and his fellow Georgia Aircraft Modelers Association club members do an excellent job of coordinating more than 1,000 tables and hundreds of vendors. I was told that the tables normally sell out before the Christmas holidays.
It was common to meet members who had driven more than 600 miles to attend this two-day show. The Miracle Strip RC Club, as far away as Panama City, Florida, purchased table space and joined the fun and fellowship.
The AMA had a booth at the show and we enjoyed meeting members at the event. If you're not in the neighborhood on March 4-5, 2011, you may want to take that drive and experience the nation's largest model aviation swap meet. MA
In the spirit of flight.
Jim Cherry Executive Director [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
